September 30, 2024

The Rozsa Center is excited to announce the selection of Kiersten Birondo as its new executive director, effective Nov. 1. Birondo, who has served as the Rozsa’s marketing manager for the past three seasons, brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the arts to this leadership role.

As a fifth-generation Yooper, Houghton High School and Michigan Tech alum, and an active member in the theatre and music community throughout her career, Birondo has a strong connection to the Rozsa Center and has witnessed firsthand the positive impact the Rozsa has on the region.

“Since it opened in 2000, I have loved the Rozsa from every angle,” said Birondo. “As a performer, audience member, auntie introducing my niece to the performing arts, and staff member, the Rozsa has been the foundation of my artistic life and the catalyst of my professional one.”

As executive director, Birondo will oversee all aspects of the Rozsa Center’s operations and will work closely with the University to implement strategic plans for the future, including continued work with its mission of sustainability and accessibility.

“I know the impact this organization can have on one person and our entire community,” Birondo said. “I am outrageously excited and honored to be chosen to lead the Rozsa into next year’s 25th anniversary and beyond, continuing to imagine innovative ways for the Rozsa to serve the campus and community.”

Birondo replaces the Rozsa's former director, Mary Jennings, who served the organization from 2014 through April 2024. Today’s announcement marks the successful conclusion to the five-month national search, with the search committee led by Jared Anderson, chair of Michigan Tech's Department of Visual and Performing Arts, where the Rozsa Center is housed.

“Kiersten’s passion for the arts, coupled with her experience in arts administration, strong leadership skills, and deep understanding of nearly every aspect of the Rozsa, make her the ideal candidate for this position,” said Anderson. “We are confident that under her leadership, the Rozsa will thrive and continue to serve as a vital cultural asset for our campus and community. We are so excited for her leadership as we prepare to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rozsa Center next year.”

Prior to joining the Rozsa Center, Birondo served as director of marketing and communications for SteppingStone Theatre for Youth in St. Paul, Minnesota, and co-founded Now. Make. Art., a Minnesota-based organization that collaborates with community entities like libraries and parks to provide free, youth-centric, multigenerational arts experiences in public spaces. Her experience in the arts has given her a unique perspective on the importance of supporting the creative community.

“I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved in the five-month executive director search,” said Anderson. “Thank you to the community members who invested their time and energy into our future, and to the staff who went above and beyond to maintain our operations during this process. I am grateful for the work of the search committee that helped attract a pool of very qualified applicants. The committee's insights were invaluable in the process of selecting the new Rozsa executive director.”

Read Birondo’s bio to learn more.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Michigan Tech will be assigning mandatory training to all employees to be completed during the month of October.

Starting tomorrow, Oct. 1, employees will receive an enrollment email with links and details, after which you’ll have four weeks to complete the training program. The email will come from "Michigan Tech IT" (it-help@mtu.edu), and the subject line will be "Michigan Tech Security Awareness Training."

This training is designed to:

• Help you identify phishing and other social engineering attacks.
• Help you recognize other threats and teach ways to respond to them.
• Demonstrate how you can support our information security and IT staff in protecting MTU data and technology.

The training contains multiple modules and should take about 40 minutes to complete. The modules do not all need to be completed in one sitting, but each individual module must be completed in a single viewing.

Thank you for your support of this security awareness training initiative. If you have any questions, we can help. Contact IT or call 906-487-1111.

Michigan Tech instructors are encouraged to participate in the Inclusive STEM Teaching Project (ISTP), a six-week course beginning the week of Oct. 7. This course presents a unique opportunity for professional development, focusing on the critical topics of equity and inclusion in STEM education.

Facilitated by a local cohort, this course is designed to provoke deep reflection and foster meaningful discussions on creating inclusive learning environments within various institutional contexts. Whether you're a doctoral student, postdoctoral researcher or faculty member, this course aims to enhance your awareness, self-efficacy and ability to cultivate inclusive STEM classrooms for your students.

Participants will engage in a range of activities aimed at examining issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. Moreover, instructors will gain practical insights into identifying and implementing learner-centered structures and strategies to better support their students' diverse needs.

The online portion of the course is a flexible commitment of approximately three to four hours per week; this allows the course to fit into your busy schedule while providing valuable skills and knowledge to enhance your teaching practice. Participation in the local learning community enhances the benefits of the course by providing a venue for weekly 50-minute facilitated discussions that dig deeper into the course content, connect participants to others in the community and contextualize applications. Learning communities usually consist of about 8-12 other learners from Michigan Tech who are also enrolled in the course.

Visit the official Inclusive STEM Teaching Project course page for more information and to register for the online portion. To express your preferences for participating in your local learning community, complete the Fall 2024 iSTEM Local Learning Community form.

The Board of Trustees will meet Oct. 11 from 9-11 a.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom B, and public attendance is welcome.

Members of the public are invited to make public comments to the board in accordance with Board of Trustees Bylaw 1.14. Those who wish to address items in the agenda, and who have filed their intent with the secretary of the board as required by Bylaw 1.14, will be limited to five minutes. Those addressing general topics are limited to three minutes.

If you wish to provide public comments to the Board of Trustees, please submit your intent to Sarah Schulte, secretary to the Board of Trustees, at shschult@mtu.edu. The deadline to submit your intent is Friday, Oct. 4.

Financial Services and Operations (FSO) has the following reminders on the allowability of various travel expenses, specifically expense aging.

• Travel reimbursement requests (including repayment of cash advances and business meals) submitted more than 60 days after the event/last day of business travel will be taxable income to the traveler (per IRS regulations).
• Travel reimbursement requests (including business meals) submitted more than 120 days after the event/last day of travel are unallowable and are not reimbursable (per IRS regulations). If travel expenses are on the University PCard, they must be coded as A127C-Personal Expense. Accounts Receivable will invoice the employee for the non-reimbursable amount.
• Issued cash advances that have not been submitted on an expense report or repaid more than 120 days after the last day of business travel will be deducted from the recipient's future paycheck.

If you have questions about the travel changes, contact FSO at 906-487-2373 or travel@mtu.edu. For additional information, please visit FSO's University Travel page.

FSO appreciates your assistance and would like to thank you for adhering to our institutional policies and guidelines.

Financial Services and Operations (FSO) has the following reminders on the revised University Administrative Policy 2.03 Reimbursement of Business Meals.

Business Meal – Departmental Event
Starting in fiscal year 2025 (effective July 1, 2024), each department is allowed up to three departmentwide events per fiscal year. These are defined as events where multiple staff, faculty and students from across the department are in attendance (with no external guests). Examples of such events include but are not limited to semester welcome events, team-building activities and departmental retreats.

The account code for the Business Meal – Departmental Event is E706D. In Concur, there is also an option for departmental events in the "Report/Trip Purpose" dropdown found in the Report Header.

Student organizations/groups are defined as:

• Registered student organizations (including learning centers)
• Enterprise teams
• Senior Design teams

When students are traveling with staff/faculty:

• Business meals paid for by the faculty/staff are reimbursable.
• Examples of students traveling with staff/faculty (outside of orgs/groups) include research projects and study abroad activities.

When students are traveling without staff/faculty:

• Students may claim per diem.

This policy can be found on the University Policy Office website. If you have questions about the policy, contact FSO at 906-487-2373 or travel@mtu.edu. If you have questions about Concur, please contact us at concur@mtu.edu. 

FSO appreciates your assistance and would like to thank you for adhering to our institutional policies and guidelines.

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Oct. 13 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• Apps.mtu.edu
• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• Aspire
• Course Tools
• Fischer/mylogin.mtu.edu
• mtu.edu/tips
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• Papercut Printing
• Perceptive Content (Imagenow)
• Pinnacle
• Sunapsis
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

There are many examples of how gender biases in academia can impede those who don’t identify as male. These biases can have significant implications, but they can creep into relatively low-consequence interactions as well.

One well-cited study used identical application materials for a lab manager position and asked science faculty from research-intensive universities to rate them. Applicants with male-sounding names were rated as significantly more competent than those with female names (Moss-Racusin et al., PNAS, 2012). The kinds of biases exposed with this and other studies are partly to blame for gender disparity within most areas of science and engineering, affecting everyone from students to faculty members.

There are far fewer studies that examine the experiences of those who are nonbinary — those who identify neither as exclusively men nor as exclusively women and who may use they/them pronouns. A new study by McCarty (2024) demonstrates that nonbinary people are disadvantaged even when consequences are much less substantial than a rating on a job application.

The study used email to request copies of recent papers from study first authors. The messages were sent from a supposed undergraduate student with a name that did not obviously associate with a specific gender. Messages varied only in their use of information regarding pronouns listed in the sender’s signature: no pronouns; she/her/hers; he/him/his; or they/them/theirs.

The authors compared the responses to these student requests in a number of ways, including how the gender of the author whose paper was being requested affected responses. Those authors who were perceived to be female responded to all of the four message variations at similar rates. However, those who were perceived as male were less likely to respond to requests from students using they/them pronouns than any of the other message variations.

The take-home message to us is clear: Build awareness of your gender biases and work to reduce them. They can affect a range of interactions even when the stakes are low.

Today’s feature was shared with us by the Advocates and Allies teams. If you have an article you think we should feature, please email it to Mike Blanco at mhblanco@mtu.edu and we will consider adding it to the A&A Monthly Roundup.

The excitement of finally revealing who made it into our 2024 Homecoming Court is here!

Please congratulate your winners:

• Hailey LaBonte
• Madison Green
• Cole Pierucki
• Mikayla Stewart
• Skyler Spitzley
• Sydney Peterson
• Genevieve Myers
• Brock Maloney

The Homecoming Court represents you, so let’s show some support for these dedicated individuals. Congratulate them at Homecoming events happening throughout the week and wish them good luck at the Court Judging competition on Thursday, Oct. 3, where Michigan Tech's 2024 Homecoming Royalty will be selected. The competition is at 6 p.m. in the MUB Alumni Lounge. 

Let’s gear up to have an amazing Homecoming Week! Go Huskies!

Join Research Development and the Graduate School tomorrow, Oct. 1, at noon for the next session of the VPR Research Series, in which we'll be highlighting "Strategies for Success in Graduate Recruiting."

This virtual session will consist of a panel discussion followed by an opportunity to engage with the panel for some Q&A. Panelists will share graduate recruitment resources and discuss the challenges they've encountered and strategies for finding the right graduate students to be successful in their research at Michigan Tech.

Panelists for the session include:

• Molly Cavaleri (CFRES)
• Jill Olin (BioSci)
• Jacque Smith (GS)
• Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci)
• Wayne Weaver (MAE/ECE)

Any questions should be addressed to rd-l@mtu.edu.

Thomas Lograsso will present a Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) seminar titled "Enhancing and Diversify Sources of Critical Materials: Developing Technologies for Mitigating Supply Chain Risks."

The seminar will take place from 10-11 a.m. on Oct. 11. Attendance is invited in person in Chem Sci 101 or virtually via Zoom. Please note: Chemical Engineering graduate students are required to attend.

Join the ChE Seminar on Zoom.

Lograsso works with the Critical Materials Innovation Hub at Ames National Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

Subhasish Mandal from West Virginia University-Morgantown will present at this week's Physics Colloquium.

Mandal's presentation is titled "The Interplay Between Electron, Lattice, and Topology in Strongly Correlated Quantum Materials from First Principles."

The seminar will be presented in person at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, in Fisher 139.

Read Mandal's abstract and bio at the University Events Calendar.

The Research Development team and the Ecosystem Science Center brought a group of faculty and staff to Washington, D.C., to meet with funding agencies, build collaborations with minority-serving institutions, and attend the Association of Ecosystem Research Centers (AERC) meeting, open science workshop, and legislative briefing.

Lake Superior Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech’s Copper Country Cycling Club in a preview of last weekend’s events. The club held the 51st annual Copper Country Color Tour on Saturday, Sept. 28.

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Belt Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech research on plastic resins for use in cross-laminated timber in a story about a mass timber skyscraper in Milwaukee, the benefits and potential of mass timber construction, and timber’s role in the Midwest’s architectural history.

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WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the first day of the Upper Peninsula Accessibility Summit, held Thursday and Friday, Sept. 26 and 27, at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

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The Keweenaw Report mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of the Houghton City Council’s declaration of Sept. 28 as Betty Chavis Day to honor a longtime friend of the community. At MTU, Chavis helped lead the creation of the Parade of Nations and is the namesake of the University’s Betty Chavis Emergency Fund.

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The Keweenaw Report ran a story highlighting Michigan Tech alumni Michelle ’91 and Steve ’87 ’90 Pritchard’s return to Houghton to perform with The Crown Jewels, a Queen tribute band. The concert was Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Rozsa Center. Michelle graduated with a bachelor’s in civil engineering, and Steve earned an associate’s in electrical engineering technology and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering.

Healthy Minds Survey: A Key to Enhancing Student Success at Michigan Tech

Now through Oct. 14, Michigan Tech students will have the opportunity to participate in the Healthy Minds Survey, a nationally recognized survey focused on understanding and improving mental health and well-being on college campuses. As staff and faculty committed to student success, we have a unique role in promoting this important initiative.

Why does the Healthy Minds Survey matter? In STEM fields, where the demands of rigorous coursework and research are high, mental health is a critical component of academic performance, retention and overall student success. The data collected will not only help us identify the key challenges students face but also shape targeted interventions that are relevant to our unique campus environment.

Encouraging student participation in this survey contributes to the creation of a campus culture that prioritizes mental health, where students feel supported both in and outside the classroom. The survey results will provide actionable insights that can lead to better services, enhanced resources and more informed decision-making as we continue to build an environment where every student can thrive.

Here are a few ways you can help:

• Tell students to look out for an email from healthyminds-MTU@umich.edu.
• Mention the survey in class: A brief reminder at the beginning or end of class can go a long way. Highlight how participating in this survey is a way for students to directly impact future campus resources and support.
• Include the survey in your communications: Whether it’s a mention in an email, or a quick post on Canvas, incorporating a mention of the Healthy Minds Survey in your communications can encourage participation.
• Share the incentives: To make it even more appealing, students who complete the survey will be entered to win weekly prizes like a Spikeball set, Bluetooth speaker, YETI Rambler, and a hammock.

By promoting the Healthy Minds Survey, you’re not just supporting research — you’re contributing to the well-being of our students and helping to build a stronger, more resilient Michigan Tech community.

For more information about the survey and how to promote it, please reach out to the survey coordinator Josh Carlson at joshuaca@mtu.edu.

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'Transformational (Not Transactional) Philanthropy' with Lisa Dietlin

Join the Keweenaw Community Foundation and the Pavlis Honors College at Michigan Tech for an insightful session on building meaningful, long-lasting donor relationships in today’s evolving philanthropic landscape. Lisa M. Dietlin, a nationally recognized expert in philanthropy and transformational change, will share her expertise on moving beyond transactional interactions to foster deeper, more impactful connections with donors.

This session will be held on Oct. 11 from 3-4:30 p.m. at Michigan Tech's Lakeshore Center in Room 123. It is designed for nonprofit staff, volunteers and community leaders who aim to strengthen their relationships with supporters. Dietlin will discuss how to identify donors whose values align with your mission, understand their motivations for giving and build authentic, trust-based relationships that inspire continued support.

With over two decades of experience, Dietlin will provide actionable strategies to help you navigate the complexities of modern philanthropy, master the art of "The Ask," and cultivate relationships that lead to long-term success.

Event Details:

• What: "Transformational (Not Transactional) Philanthropy" with Lisa Dietlin
• When: Friday, Oct. 11, from 3-4:30 p.m.
• Where: Michigan Tech Lakeshore Center, Room 123

About Lisa M. Dietlin
Lisa M. Dietlin is an internationally recognized expert on philanthropy, charitable giving and transformational change. A trusted advisor to the nonprofit sector, she has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs and authored several influential books on giving and personal growth. Her work focuses on helping organizations and individuals harness the power of philanthropy to create lasting, positive change.

For more details her work, visit Dietlin’s website.

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Participate in GSG's Annual 3MT Competition

The Graduate Student Government (GSG) annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition will be held on Nov. 7. The 3MT competition is open to all MTU graduate students, as it allows them to present their research to a general audience within three minutes. Participants are judged on their communication and presentation skills while delivering their content with one static PowerPoint slide.

The registration for the local competition is open now and will continue through Nov. 1. Register for the 3MT competition. 

The competition is divided into two phases: preliminary rounds from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a final round from 6-8 p.m. Both phases will be held on campus in the MUB Ballroom. 

The winner and runner-up will receive cash prizes of $300 and $200, respectively, while a People’s Choice award will be given to a speaker selected by the event’s audience, with a cash prize of $100. In addition, the winner of the local Michigan Tech competition will earn the opportunity to present at the regional 3MT competition.

For inquiries, email gsg-research@mtu.edu. For full event information, visit the 3MT page on GSG's website.

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EPSSI Seminar with Oumaima Lamaakel

An Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) Seminar will take place today, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m. in M&M U113.

Guest speaker Oumaima Lamaakel of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory will talk on "Large-Eddy Simulation of Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Convection."

Read Lamaakel's abstract and bio at the EPSSI's Fall 2024 Seminar Series page.

To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.

that thing between my teeth is my foot Exhibit - Michigan Tech Art

Monday, September 30, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Art Galleries A-Space

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Douglas Degges is presenting two parallel artistic explorations in the Rozsa A-Space Gallery. Since the fall of 2019, Degges has been creating...

Orange Shirt Day

Monday, September 30, 12–5 p.m. | At the picnic tables in front of the library

We wear orange to honor Indigenous boarding school victims, survivors, and their families. Come talk to us about it.

Hot Cocoa/Lemonade Handout

Monday, September 30, 1–3 p.m. | Fisher Rock Garden

Come join us and keep cool or warm (weather dependent) and learn about who Christ is in the Fisher Rock Garden

Translating Molecular Science to Practical Application in Natural Systems and Engineered Processes

Monday, September 30, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar/ASEEP Distinguished Lecture Prof. Lynn Katz, 2024-2025 AEESP Distinguished Lecturer, Professor and Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial...

Homecoming Event: Chalk Master

Monday, September 30, 3:30–5:00 p.m. | Walker Lawn Sidewalk Areas

Join the Homecoming Survivor-theme chalk art competition where the contestants really “draw” the line between creativity and competition! Each artist will “chalk” up their...

EPSSI Seminar: Dr. Oumaima Lamaakel

Monday, September 30, 4–5 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), Room U113

This event will be held in M&M U113. The topic of Oumaima Lamaakel's talk is entitled Large-Eddy Simulation of Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Convection Abstract: Clouds...

Homecoming Event: Shirt or No Shirt (T-shirt Swap)

Monday, September 30, 4–5 p.m. | Walker Lawn Area

Swap canned goods for cool tees at our Homecoming Free T-Shirt Giveaway--"Shirt or No Shirt reality TV theme"! It’s a win-win: feed the community and freshen up your...

Python Workshop

Monday, September 30, 5–6 p.m. | Rekhi 113

A free, in person, python workshop for beginners!

Parent & Child Aquatics - Session 1

Monday, September 30, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Parent & Child Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 6 months to 3 years old. A...

Preschool Aquatics - Session 1

Monday, September 30, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash this in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Preschool Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 4 to 5 years old. Space will...

Homecoming Event: Lip Synch Battle

Monday, September 30, 8–11 p.m. | Roza Center for the Performing Arts

Get ready to cheer and choose at the Homecoming Lip Sync Battle—where the audience’s vote turns performers into champions! Your applause decides it all! View the rules in the...